diff --git a/gemrb/core/Sprite2D.cpp b/gemrb/core/Sprite2D.cpp
index 7d64b3b6ae..7871bc483f 100644
--- a/gemrb/core/Sprite2D.cpp
+++ b/gemrb/core/Sprite2D.cpp
@@ -32,6 +32,7 @@ Sprite2D::Sprite2D(int Width, int Height, int Bpp, const void* pixels)
 	: Width(Width), Height(Height), Bpp(Bpp), pixels(pixels)
 {
 	BAM = false;
+	RLE = false;
 	XPos = 0;
 	YPos = 0;
 	RefCount = 1;
@@ -41,6 +42,7 @@ Sprite2D::Sprite2D(int Width, int Height, int Bpp, const void* pixels)
 Sprite2D::Sprite2D(const Sprite2D &obj)
 {
 	BAM = false;
+	RLE = false;
 	RefCount = 1;
 
 	XPos = obj.XPos;
diff --git a/gemrb/plugins/SDLVideo/SDLSurfaceSprite2D.cpp b/gemrb/plugins/SDLVideo/SDLSurfaceSprite2D.cpp
index 89bf1a1456..c896b93e82 100644
--- a/gemrb/plugins/SDLVideo/SDLSurfaceSprite2D.cpp
+++ b/gemrb/plugins/SDLVideo/SDLSurfaceSprite2D.cpp
@@ -32,9 +32,7 @@ SDLSurfaceSprite2D::SDLSurfaceSprite2D(int Width, int Height, int Bpp, void* pix
 	surface = SDL_CreateRGBSurfaceFrom( pixels, Width, Height, Bpp < 8 ? 8 : Bpp, Width * ( Bpp / 8 ),
 									   0, 0, 0, 0 );
 	freePixels = true;
-#if SDL_VERSION_ATLEAST(1,3,0)
-	SDL_SetSurfaceRLE(surface, SDL_TRUE);
-#endif
+	SetSurfaceRLE(true);
 }
 
 SDLSurfaceSprite2D::SDLSurfaceSprite2D (int Width, int Height, int Bpp, void* pixels,
@@ -44,9 +42,7 @@ SDLSurfaceSprite2D::SDLSurfaceSprite2D (int Width, int Height, int Bpp, void* pi
 	surface = SDL_CreateRGBSurfaceFrom( pixels, Width, Height, Bpp < 8 ? 8 : Bpp, Width * ( Bpp / 8 ),
 									   rmask, gmask, bmask, amask );
 	freePixels = true;
-#if SDL_VERSION_ATLEAST(1,3,0)
-	SDL_SetSurfaceRLE(surface, SDL_TRUE);
-#endif
+	SetSurfaceRLE(true);
 }
 
 SDLSurfaceSprite2D::SDLSurfaceSprite2D(const SDLSurfaceSprite2D &obj)
@@ -55,9 +51,7 @@ SDLSurfaceSprite2D::SDLSurfaceSprite2D(const SDLSurfaceSprite2D &obj)
 	surface = SDL_ConvertSurface(obj.surface, obj.surface->format, obj.surface->flags);
 	pixels = surface->pixels;
 	freePixels = false;
-#if SDL_VERSION_ATLEAST(1,3,0)
-	SDL_SetSurfaceRLE(surface, SDL_TRUE);
-#endif
+	SetSurfaceRLE(obj.RLE);
 }
 
 SDLSurfaceSprite2D* SDLSurfaceSprite2D::copy() const
@@ -114,6 +108,7 @@ ieDword SDLSurfaceSprite2D::GetColorKey() const
 void SDLSurfaceSprite2D::SetColorKey(ieDword ck)
 {
 #if SDL_VERSION_ATLEAST(1,3,0)
+	// SDL 2 will enforce SDL_RLEACCEL
 	SDL_SetColorKey(surface, SDL_TRUE, ck);
 #else
 	SDL_SetColorKey(surface, SDL_SRCCOLORKEY | SDL_RLEACCEL, ck);
@@ -190,6 +185,24 @@ bool SDLSurfaceSprite2D::ConvertFormatTo(int bpp, ieDword rmask, ieDword gmask,
 	return false;
 }
 
+void SDLSurfaceSprite2D::SetSurfaceRLE(bool rle)
+{
+#if SDL_VERSION_ATLEAST(1,3,0)
+	SDL_SetSurfaceRLE(surface, rle);
+#else
+	if (rle) {
+		surface->flags |= SDL_RLEACCEL;
+	} else {
+		surface->flags &= ~SDL_RLEACCEL;
+	}
+#endif
+	// regardless of rle or the success of SDL_SetSurfaceRLE
+	// we must keep RLE false because SDL hides the actual RLE data from us (see SDL_BlitMap)
+	// and we are left to access the pixels in decoded form (updated by SDL_UnlockSurface).
+	// SDL Blits will make use of RLE acceleration, but our internal blitters cannot.
+	assert(RLE == false);
+}
+
 void SDLSurfaceSprite2D::SetSurfacePalette(SDL_Surface* surf, SDL_Color* pal, int numcolors)
 {
 #if SDL_VERSION_ATLEAST(1,3,0)
diff --git a/gemrb/plugins/SDLVideo/SDLSurfaceSprite2D.h b/gemrb/plugins/SDLVideo/SDLSurfaceSprite2D.h
index e5b3e97347..ea2490a294 100644
--- a/gemrb/plugins/SDLVideo/SDLSurfaceSprite2D.h
+++ b/gemrb/plugins/SDLVideo/SDLSurfaceSprite2D.h
@@ -32,6 +32,8 @@ class SDLSurfaceSprite2D : public Sprite2D {
 private:
 	bool freePixels;
 	SDL_Surface* surface;
+private:
+	void SetSurfaceRLE(bool);
 public:
 	SDLSurfaceSprite2D(int Width, int Height, int Bpp, void* pixels);
 	SDLSurfaceSprite2D(int Width, int Height, int Bpp, void* pixels,